Reinforcement of tire-bases.



157881,601; .Patented oct. 15, 1918.

z ZYZ INVENTOR.

' ATTORNEYS.

Riinroii'emanarel 0F TInE-BAsnsfjf ALLS; MAs/sacvsr'msj'Assigneecompresi" RUBBEBgCOMANY, MASSACHUSETTS,A CORPORATION OF Patented oet. 15,1918.

1 n .Appiicationiedapriir191s. seriainofazsas.. A

' H. LEWIS, a;

i citizenof the UnitedStates, anda resident.

of lGhicopee Falls, in the county of Hamp- -deii and State of,` Massachusetts, have 1n.

ventedcertain,,new and -i'iseful Improvements; in.. Reinforcements of Tire-Bases, of which the following' is-.a specification.

This invention relates to improvements inthe'reinforcement of the heel or base portions of tirel casings, andis particularly .adaptedl to the clencher type of casing v which is `usuallyconstructed of rubberized filler members lwithin the base portion lof the casing 'which 4will anchor the rim` vengaging portion against vthe Wheel rim and fabrics .and haveinthei-r base portionsflexible filler' members.'v An objecty of my' invention yisto provide 'a reinforcement. to the will retain the bead portion of the tire in interlocked engagement with the clencher y f rings of the Wheelfrim, .therebypreventing the. accidental.,displacement of the casing `when the tire..is.under stress. According to the tire from its seat on the Wheel rim.

one 4 feature of -my invention, 'I provide al reinforcement that will securely anchor the ivh'eel-rim-engaging portions and vwill permit of a free bending movement of the tire adjacent the clencher 'ring-engaging portions Witliout disturbingthebase-or heel of I am awarethatreinforcements consisting of short ivire pins placed in a 'spaced-apart relation circiiinferentially about the base portion of the vh eel of the 4tire andfinthe l flexible fillerL members have been incorporated in a tire structure, 'but these pins are not adapted tobond sufficiently during the vulcanization of the: tire 'and Work through the heelportion and .ii'rtothe tube of theltire. causing pyunctiires ofthe tube and a illustrative purposes I liave shown the preferred embodiment of my invention as in` corporated Viiia clencher tire- 'structure comprisinga plurality of rubberized fabrics envelopingi the flexible filler members in the usual and'AWell-known'` manner. l

By vreference tothe accompanying draw.-

'yings,.my' reinforcement iyill iio\v kbe describe'd'in one-of'its preferred forms.

Figure lis a. cross-section through an inflated'tire Which-is mounted on a Wheel rimj; .F ig. 2 is a cross-.section through the reinforcement @and on which is mounted the fiexibley filler member; v y

3 is a partial plan viewof the rein-v forcement;4 and Fig. 4 is av fragmentary fcrossfsection showing the tire under stress.

The reinforcement is preferably'niade b v bending wire-into the form shown in Fig. 3, wherein it will be seen lthat the laterally extending spaced members 6 v of the reinforcement -are alternately and oppositely connected at their ends by the circumferentially-dispo'sed shorter members 7. The re'- in'forcenient is" thus .bent into the form shoivn, in lengths approximating the cir; cumference ofthe base of the tire, and is completely enveloped in 'a sheathing of rubp berized fabric v8,- as shown in Fig. 3. The

i lflexible filler member a is laid upon the inclosed reinforcement and on the overlappededges ofthe fabric (see Fig. 2)' and may b e rolled or pressed thereon, whichl rolling or 'pressing action' causesthe filler member to adliere'to the fabric, particularly since the iiller member and fabric are rubberized. as

well asl forces tlie two. thicknesses of'fabric v between the laterally-spaced members of the' reinforcement and causes the Whole toadliere firmly together, thereby locking the: re- -inforcement Within the fabric in such a manner that it will not move crc'umf'erentially the tire Vcasing more than the desired amount, vas will be described, or laterally` through the heel of the tiren'to tlie'tube;

AThe construction of the reinforcement :1l- Ilows the. laterallyspaced members to scp- 'arate slightly lby bending at the intersections 6 ivli'en the heel diameter is increased by stretching, asl when the casing is removed d reinforcementor placed on the rim, but this elongationof ',vthe heel circumference isv not sufficient to separate the members 7 to am' appreciable extent and does not ca use the reinforcement t'o'separa'te from the fabric, since the fabric 11i-"itself is extensible enough for this pui posc'.:-.

The filler member'bein'g thus' reinforced atA thebase (see Fig,l 2)., is cut to a 'predetermined length, whlclrlength is substantially equal to the circumference 'of the heel portion of a tire casing, and lis incorporated in Vthe tire structure 1n4 vthe usual and wellulnioivnmanner. A tire stri'icture T embodying'my reinforced flexible members is'shown y as being inflated and mounted `on a section of a Wheel rim in Fig. 1, wherein' it ivi'll be i seen that lthe flatheel portions 9 of the tirelie adjacent the Wheel rim l0 and the. 'c lencher'rings 11 of the rim are ininterlocked engagement with theclencher beads. of the tire. lVhen the tire is `thus mounted, 20.

it is lheld from displacement by the air pressure Within, which pressure forces the flat 'heel -port-ion lirmlyagai-nst the rim and out- 'Wardly toivard the clencher rings Il. Pressure applied tothe outer periphery of the tire tends to flatten.y the tire in the usual vmanner, but the heel ofthe tire, by reason of its being reinforced, particularly in .the

improved manner described, is prevented from. bending down into the recesses 10' of the Wheel rim, and instead the tire Will bend as it should around the clencher'ring 11, as

shown in F ig. i,l\vithout causing adisplacement of the'baseof the tire, or a Working of .the metal Wire tl'irou'g'h tliefcarcass'into -tlie innert-ubc, vvhichaction hasbeen aserious 1'. In a clencher bead-construction, the

.combination-10ftliefextensible'. beady filling member and on' thel bottom s ide there- Afof a' circumfei'entially-ar'ranged reinforcing nl 'eans,' 'com'prising, a stifening Wire bent.

A" into closely spaced-apart portions extending transversely of and across the extensible lbead member to resist transverse bending alon j necting bends of such transverse portions of al circumferential line, while the conthe Wire permit the desired circumferential stretching of bead construction,` all for the purpose described. f

2. In a clencher bead construction, the combination of the extensible bead filling member, and -asso'ciated therewith a reinforcing means, comprising. a stiffening'ivire arranged in -closel v spaced-apart portions extending transversely of and across thev extensible bead member to resist transverse bending along acircumferential line` while purpose described.

the connecting bends of such transverse poi'- tions of theV wire permit the desired circum ferential stretching ofthe vbead construction, all for the purpose described.

3. In a clencher bead construction` the combination ofthe extensible bead filling member and associated therewith av reinforcing means, comprising, a stitl'enmgl vwire arranged in closely spaced-apart portions extending transversely of and across the extensiblebead member to resist transverse bending along the circumferei'itial line, While the connecting bends of such' transverse portions ofthe wire permit vthe desired circumferei'itial stretcliingof the bead construction', andtivo fabric layers, one above and the otherbelow the reinforcingmeans to cover thelsame, saidI layers being\`j'oiii\c d\ together intermediate the said spaced-apart. portions ofthenvire, ivherebyjthe latter is effectively pocketed, all foi/- the purpose de.: scribed. l: In a clencher bead construction. the. combination of an extensible bead"flliiig member and on the bottoni side thereof a circuniferentially-arrange(l' reinforcing means,

comprising, a stiiicniirgivire .located betiveen tivo layers of rubberized fabric. the Whole being pressed tightlyd together, said stilfening ivire being beiitl into closely spacedfapart portions extending transversely of and across the extensible bead member to resist transverse bending along a circumferential line, ivlrile the -coiinecting bends of said transverse portion =of the wire permit thedesired circl'in'iferenti'al stretchspaced apart portionsto permit circumferential stretching of the bead construction,

and a fabric Wrapping arranged entirely around the reinforcing means to serve vvhen pressed tightly against the bottoni of the beadfilling member as avconnecting means between thelatter and the vvire, and a poele eting means for the Wire. all for the purpose described. i

GEORGE H. 'LEVIS sor 

